Honokohau Beach is the less popular of the two sandy beaches inside Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park, and in addition to giving visitors the chance to lay out on a sandy beach with considerably less crowds, it also passes a lot of shallow pools frequented by feeding sea turtles.
There are multiple ways to reach Honokohau Beach, and each will require a short walk. The quickest being coming from the south, where visitors can walk along the shore or can follow the stone path of the Ala Kahakai Trail, a historic coastal path that stretches for 175 miles along the Big Island. The hike from any direction passes some of the old archeological ruins dotting the historic park's grounds.
Honokohau Beach itself is a crescent shaped sandy shore, separating the sea from 'Aimakapa fishpond immediately inland.
If approaching the beach from the park visitor center or the south, you will walk past a flat shelf of stone along the shore which is a popular spot for sea turtles to swim on and eat. It can be a funny site, as the turtles are less than graceful, and essentially push themselves across the shallow coves with their faces down eating away as they go. At the right time of day, you might spot dozens of turtles here.
Visitors can reach Honokohau Beach from the central gravel parking area at the end of Kealakehe Parkway, which totals about .8 miles round trip, or from a trail from the park visitors center, which totals about 1.3 miles round trip.
There are no bathrooms or water at Honokohau Beach, however there are bathrooms at nearby Alula Beach and at the visitors center. Honokohau Beach is open from 8:30am to 4:30 daily and is free to visit.
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